Author Interview:: Kelli A. Wilkins

Hi everyone! This year, I’ve published
three books. In February, I released my guide to writing, You Can Write—Really! A
Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction. It’s a fun and easy guide designed for beginner writers who need a boost
of motivation and simple instructions on how to get started.

This autumn, I released two horror ebooks. Kropsy’s
Curse and Dead Til Dawn. I’ve always been a big horror fan, and over the
years I’ve divided my time between writing sensual romances and spooky horror
tales.

Kropsy’s Curse was a
fun story to write. It’s about two boys who want to conjure a spirit in a
graveyard on Halloween. I came up with the ending first, (it’s a surprise, so I
can’t share the secret!) before I wrote the rest of the story.

Dead Til Dawn is set
on the Gettysburg battlefield at night. In this novella, a group of friends
goes out to explore the Devil’s Den in the hopes of finding a ghost. As a
mysterious battlefield fog surrounds them, they quickly realize they’re not
alone. This story was inspired by a trip I took to Gettysburg and a real (and
totally creepy) encounter I had with battlefield fog late one night.

Here are the summaries and links to all three
books:

You Can
Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction

If you’ve always dreamed of writing and
getting published, but have no idea where or how to start—THIS is the book for
you!

Award-winning author Kelli A. Wilkins takes
you step-by-step through the writing process, covering the basics of plotting,
editing, revising, and submitting. In addition, she
explores ways to get your creativity flowing, explains where authors get ideas,
and shows you how to create interesting characters for your story. Helpful
tips and fun writing exercises throughout the book get you started!

Late one Halloween night, two young boys
venture into a secluded graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit.
Although Kyle is skeptical and would rather be home eating candy and watching
horror movies, he reluctantly goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe
Ouija boards work—until this one starts spelling out a message…

This Halloween-themed 1500-word short story is a cautionary tale about playing
with a Ouija board in a graveyard.

After touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and
Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s
friend Kathy objects, and warns them about trespassing where they’re not
wanted.

Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward
the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they
find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of
their own.
Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top.
Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she
refuses to believe that what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime
battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she quickly
realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.

In Kropsy’s Curse, Kyle is cautious,
smart, and quick thinking. Kathy from Dead Til Dawn is level-headed,
respectful, and self-reliant.

3. Do
you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you
think makes them believable?

I’m not sure I “create” the characters.
Whenever I get an idea for a story, the characters usually “show up” at the
same time. For instance, when I got the idea for Kropsy’s Curse, I immediately
knew it would be about two grade school boys out on Halloween. One is pushy and
wants to fool around with a Ouija board, while the other one is sensible and
wants to go home. When I write, the process is more like I’m meeting the
characters or discovering them and their stories.

Finding the right name for a character is
sometimes the hardest part of writing a story. Some characters will tell me
their names right away, but many times I have to think about the name and try
out a few different ones before I get the right one. Once in a while, I’ll
write a few scenes referring to the character as “Ralph” just to get the words
on paper. After a while, the character’s real name will come to me.

I try to add as many details as possible to
all my characters and make them “real” for readers. They all need to have
goals, motivation, and conflict — as well as histories, personal likes and
dislikes. Sometimes it’s hard to introduce all that into a short story, but I
do what I can to bring the characters to life.

4. Do
your characters follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own?
Do you keep them in check?

Each story comes to me in a different way.
Before I start writing, I make a rough outline of what happens in the story,
and any snippets of dialogue or certain details I want to include. This gives
me a road map to work off of as I write. My outlines for short stories are very
bare bones — maybe a page, tops. When I write novels, I create a more detailed
outline for each scene and chapter and include information about which characters
are in the scene, whose point of view each scene is in, etc. I find that it’s
easier (and faster) for me to write this way and I don’t get lost in the middle
or forget something I wanted to include.

But as I write, I allow myself some leeway
to explore things I hadn’t considered in my outline. I might add entire scenes
or write scenes that are later omitted. Sometimes I’ll be writing a scene and
the characters “take over” and decide the scene should go a different way, or
something I planned on happening changes. When that happens, I go with it and
see where the characters are leading me. I’ll write the scenes and delete them
later if they don’t work or if they’re not a good fit for the plot.

Writing a new story is always an adventure
for me, and I never know where the characters or the plot will take me.

5. Have
you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?

No, I don’t, but I occasionally suffer from
writer’s procrastination! Basically that’s when my brain says “enough!” and
goes on strike when I’m supposed to be editing or revising a book. Usually this
happens when I’m overloaded and trying to do too much. To counteract it, I take
a break and let my mind recharge and rest. I go for walks, exercise, read
something I didn’t write, or watch TV. After a day or so, I’m ready to get back
to work.

6. What
types of books do you like to read?

I read pretty much everything from A-Z:
fiction, non-fiction, history, self-help, horror, mystery, thrillers, romance,
detective novels, or whatever looks interesting. Growing up, I hung out at the
library and read anything I could find. I read Stephen King short stories and
other horror fiction, but I also read all the Little House and Nancy
Drew books.

7. What
do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I read, travel, go to creepy/haunted
places, visit flea markets (they’re great for story ideas), and garden.

8. What’s
next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I just finished writing a historical
romance set in Nebraska in 1877. As of now, the title is Lies, Love, and Redemption, and it’s scheduled to be published in
august 2017. Stay tuned for details on my blog and in my newsletter. I’m also outlining
a paranormal romance and another gay contemporary. In the horror department,
I’m working on a few short stories and a horror novel/novella. And, now through
October 20, all of my Amber Quill romances are on sale at 50% off. You can see
a full title list here: http://www.amberquill.com/store/m/149-Kelli-A-Wilkins.aspx

9. What’s
the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

I included all the advice, knowledge, and
tips I’ve received over the years in my writing book, You Can Write—Really! One piece of advice I always
share is to take writing classes. That’s how I started out, and writing classes
really helped me develop my skills and taught me how to write a great story.

I also advise anyone who wants to write to sit
down in a quiet spot and actually write. A lot of people talk about being a
writer or writing a story “someday” but not very many people do. Talking about writing and actually writing are two very different
things. Once you sit down and start writing (even if it’s just the outline or
the first scene) you’ll find the motivation to continue. (I talk more about
this in my book.) The bottom line is: if you want to write, write, and don’t
let anyone stop you!

10. Where
can readers find you and your books?

Thanks for letting me visit! It was fun
sharing my thoughts with readers. I invite everyone to visit my site to read
excerpts, reviews, and summaries of all my writings. You can sign up for my
newsletter, Kelli’s Quill, here: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

I enjoy hearing from readers and other
authors. So feel free to drop me a line with questions, comments, and to let me
know how you liked my books. You can catch up on all of my stories and follow
me on social media here:

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning romance and horror
author who has published more than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5
non-fiction books.

Her short horror fiction has appeared in several
anthologies. In autumn 2015 she released two horror ebooks, Kropsy’s
Curse and Dead Til Dawn. In 2014, her horror fiction appeared in Moon Shadows, Wrapped in White, and Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine.

You Can
Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction was released in February 2015. This fun and informative non-fiction
guide is based on her 15 years of experience as a writer, and is available
exclusively on Amazon.

Kelli published three romances in 2014: Dangerous Indenture (a spicy
historical/mystery), Wilderness
Bride (a tender historical/Western/adventure), and A Secret Match (a gay
contemporary set in the world of professional wrestling). Her romances span
many genres and heat levels.

Check out the super-giveaway along with this review and more about the book on my blog, Book-o-Craze!
This was a delightful, interesting, funny and mysterious novel, full of unique characters and a protagonist you could only love and a...